Greedy Mistakes
by Lexie Lupin
Summary: 10 year old Harry is kidnapped along with his aunt and cousin after Vernon finds money that belonged to powerful people. Snape eventually steps in to save the day and later adopts Harry. Some scenes of child abuse. COMPLETE WITH SEQUAL! Please R&R!
1. Money, Money, and More Money

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Harry Potter, other than this story's plot.

Vernon Dursley always considered himself to be a good hard working family man. He was the one who earned the money for the house therefore it should not matter how he came across the money. That should not have been a big deal, right?

That was probably the understatement of the year.

You see, one day Vernon set his briefcase down on the ground while he stopped at a local coffee shop and ordered a coffee with a large pastry to eat. As he was sitting there enjoying his pastry, a small group of men sat at the table next to his. They discussed their matters in hushed voices while Vernon finished up his pastry. Grabbing his briefcase, Vernon left the coffee shop. After opening his briefcase, he discovered a large sum of money inside. Vernon made excuses to leave work that day and went to a bank to stash that money. He later went home and went about his usual routine as if he never found it. That was only yesterday.

"Boy! You had better get up now and start breakfast or you're going to get it!" Vernon bellowed as he descended from the stairs. A moment later, a small scrawny figure emerged from the cupboard under the stairs. The boy looked to be about 8 but in fact, he was going to be turning 10. He had black messy hair, vibrant green eyes, round taped up glasses and he was wearing hand-me-down clothes that were quite a few sizes larger than he was. Harry, who was always referred to as boy or freak by his relatives, scrambled from his "room" to the kitchen where his uncle was waiting.

Harry got coffee for his uncle and began preparing breakfast. He made plenty of food for his obese uncle and cousin. If he was good, maybe he would actually get a chance to eat. Harry put plates out on the table and poured a glass of milk for his cousin, who was bounding down the stairs. Harry was just setting it down when his cousin slammed into him, making him spill the milk all over Vernon. Vernon's face began turning a nasty purplish color as he stood up from the table. Harry backed away slowly and stammered out apologies for spilling the milk, even though it was not his fault. It was a well known fact to everyone in the Dursley household that if anything went wrong, then it was automatically Harry's fault.

"You are going to get it now boy! That was my favorite work shirt!" Vernon roared. He grabbed Harry by his hair and dragged him over to the cupboard under the stairs. He punched Harry a few times before kicking him as he slid to the floor. He grabbed the barely conscious boy and threw him into his cupboard before slamming the door and locking it. Vernon changed into a new work shirt before going back downstairs as if nothing just happened. Vernon ate his breakfast and then left for work while Dudley went to his room to play with his gaming system.

* * *

At approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, Petunia went over to the cupboard under the stairs and unlocked it. "I am having tea with the neighbors and you are not staying in this house alone. Go stay outside for a few hours." Petunia stated before leaving to prepare herself for the tea party, which was really an excuse for the ladies to get together and gossip. 

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry replied as he crawled slowly out of the cupboard in order to not jerk his injuries around. Harry made his way over to the park and sat on the swings, daydreaming about someone coming to rescue him from this miserable life. It began getting dark out and he was lost in thought, therefore did not hear his cousin come up behind him until he went flying off the swing and landed face first in the sand. As he landed, his sore ribs were jarred and it took a moment before he could catch his breath again.

Dudley did not waste time waiting for Harry to catch his breath. He went after him like a wolf set on his prey. Dudley had only hit his cousin a few times before he heard something behind him. Harry took advantage of the loose grip from the momentary distraction and made a run for it. He took off running back towards the house and heard Dudley start running after him. Harry turned the corner onto Privet Drive and was not very far when someone grabbed his arm in a strong grip. Harry tried to rip his arm out of the strong hold but it was no use. Harry turned towards the person and discovered that it was not his cousin who had the grip on him. Before he could say anything or do anything, a cloth covered his mouth and he grew sleepy. The last thing he saw was his cousin turning the corner and another man grabbing him. Then the whole world turned black.

* * *

Petunia returned home from her afternoon tea with the neighbors and noticed that it was getting dark out. She was picking out some food for dinner, when she heard a creak behind her. She turned towards the sound and saw a man standing there. She started to scream but something was quickly shoved over her mouth and her world slowly faded away into darkness.

* * *

Vernon went about his usual day at work, but he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched. Vernon went home after work and everything was dark inside. He searched blindly for a light switch before finding one. He flipped on the kitchen lights and the first thing he noticed was the food sitting out on the counter. None of it was cooked or even in the process of being cooked as it usually would be by this time in the evening. The second thing that he noticed was a letter of some sort sitting on the table. Walking slowly towards the table, Vernon paled upon seeing the photograph next to the letter. It displayed his wife, son and nephew tied up and unconscious. Vernon then picked up the letter and began reading. 

_Dursley—_

_If you want your wife, son and nephew to remain alive you will return our money to us. If you contact the police in any way, your family will die and we will mail you their body parts in cardboard boxes. You have two days to get the money. We will be contacting you._

Vernon read the letter twice before sinking down in the nearest chair. He now had to get all the money to these people in two days before they killed his wife and son. He could care less about his nephew since he never wanted the worthless little freak in the first place. It was too late in the evening for the banks to be open so he would have to wait until the following morning in order to retrieve the money. Since there was nothing more to do for that evening, he went upstairs to his room and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

While Vernon was just getting off work, three men were pulling into an old shabby looking house. It looked bad on the outside but was pretty decent looking on the inside. It had four bedrooms total and three of those bedrooms just now became occupied with people. The men brought in Petunia and placed her in the first bedroom. There was nothing more than a bed in this room. The kidnappers unceremoniously tossed the unconscious woman on the bed before leaving the room and locking the door from the outside. 

It took two men to carry Dudley into the next bedroom. He was placed on the bed, which seemed to barely support his weight. They locked his door before leaving. Finally, Harry was brought into the third bedroom. The man carried Harry over to the bed before dumping him onto it. Just as the locks to his door slid into place, Harry began regaining consciousness.

* * *

A/N: I know that this is short and this story will be only like 5 chapters long. I have it all planned out so with the motivation of reviews, the next chapter will be up as soon as possible. So…PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	2. Unlocking Doors

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Harry Potter, other than this story's plot.

Harry slowly opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He was in a plain room with nothing other than the bed that he was currently on. He stood up and paused to get over the momentary dizzy spell. Harry walked over to the door in hopes of finding it unlocked by some random chance. He was disappointed because it was in fact locked. Harry knew he had to get out of there, but he wasn't sure how he would make it out of the room with the door locked. Harry stilled his movements when he heard the door give a slight click. At first, he thought it was a person unlocking his door to come in, but no one entered after a moment of waiting. Harry tried to open the door again and found it unlocked this time.

Harry peeked out of the door and assumed that this was another one of those freaky things that seemed to happen to him. The hallway was empty and slightly dark which meant that it was still night. He heard two voices conversing down one side of the hall and decided that his best chance at escaping was to go in the other direction. Walking as quiet as he could, Harry made his way down to the end of the hall. He was just creeping around the corner when he heard a shout behind him.

"Hey! One of the kids got out!" A dark haired man yelled to his companion in the other room. Harry took off running once he had been spotted. He ran past a few rooms but was unable to run any further when a pair of arms shot out of an open doorway and grabbed him.

"Let me go!" Harry said as he struggled to get away from the man. But the guy just picked up the small black haired boy and slammed him against the wall. Harry was dazed for a moment but began struggling again. He managed to kick the villain right in a very sensitive place which pissed the rogue off.

"You little shit!" The man yelled before slapping Harry on the face. He raised his hand to strike Harry again but it was intercepted by a blond haired man called Alexander, who was the boss of this whole kidnapping. "That will be enough", said Alex.

Jason, the man holding Harry, let go and Harry scrambled backwards into the corner, as far away as he could get from the men.

"Come here boy." Alex ordered. Harry stayed where he was and continued staring at the men with wide fearful eyes. Jason grabbed Harry by his hair and pulled him over towards Alex. "How did you get out of your room?" Alex questioned the frightened boy.

"Answer him!" Jason demanded when Harry did not respond. He pulled on Harry's hair a bit more and caused the boy to let out a quiet whimper of pain.

"I-I don't know." Harry stammered out. "The door was locked at first and then it wasn't locked anymore." It was as simple as that to him but to these men, it was complicated because that meant that one of them had to have unlocked it. Suddenly there was a loud pounding on the doors and the sounds of pathetic wailing down the hall that was coming from Dudley.

"Let me out of here! I want my mum!" Dudley began demanding. "I'm hungry! Get me some food!" Dudley continued demanding various things from the kidnappers, who were not about to cater to his demands. Shortly after Dudley began his wailing, a shrill voice began yelling. It seemed that everyone was now awake.

"Dudley? Sweetums… Is that you?" Petunia nearly shouted through the door. "I demand to see my son at once!!" She was in no position to demand anything but yet she demanded anyways.

Alexander pulled Harry away from Jason before giving out orders. "Both of you shove that fat boy in the room with his mother so he will shut up." Jason and Ryan, the dark haired man who noticed Harry creeping down the hall, went over to Dudley's room while Alex marched Harry towards his Aunt's room. The man unlocked her door and lightly pushed Harry inside.

"What are you doing here boy?! I don't want him! I want to see my son!" Petunia continued demanding. She did not seem to know when to stop.

"Will you shut up already?!" Alexander yelled exasperated. "Your son will be here in a second. Just shut up and wait!" Alexander slammed the door, clearly annoyed with her shrilly voice.

When Alex slammed the door, she turned her attention to her nephew. "This is all your fault isn't it? What have you done to get us in this mess?" As she spoke, she decreased the distance between them until Harry found himself against the wall, with nowhere to go and a very angry aunt in front of him.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry defended himself. It was no use because as usual, everything was blamed on him.

"You little liar!" She shrieked as she slapped him across the face. "I knew we never should have kept you! We should have taken Marge's advice and drowned you after you arrived on out doorstep." She backhanded him and her wedding ring cut into his cheek.

The door opened behind them and Petunia turned away from her nephew to see two men dragging her son into the room. "Dudley!" She exclaimed. Harry slid down the wall and into the corner to watch as Petunia checked over her son to make sure he was okay. Dudley was making the whole situation entirely too dramatic with his whining and sniveling about everything. Harry was jealous over the fact that his aunt cared so much for her own son but could not find time to care at all for her nephew.

The door was once again locked and trapped them all in this room together. Harry continued to sit in the corner while Petunia fussed over Dudley. Eventually Dudley grew annoyed with it and walked away from her. The room was just as plain as the others and there was not much to see. Dudley immediately spotted Harry curled in the corner. He was about to begin taunting his cousin when the door opened again.

"I brought some food and water." Ryan said simply as he tossed each of them a bag of chips and a bottle. Dudley immediately tore into his bag of chips and Ryan left the room. Harry opened his water bottle and took a few tentative sips. Dudley finished the small bag of chips quickly and spotted Harry's untouched bag. He went up to Harry and snatched it from him.

"Hey! That's my food!" Since Harry was punished this morning, he had not been able to eat anything since yesterday and was rather hungry. Harry jumped up in attempt to grab the bag but Dudley shoved him and he fell. There was a slight cracking sound when Harry fell and his left index finger was now slightly bent in the wrong direction. Tears gathered in Harry's eyes as he struggled not to cry out. Dudley laughed and ended up tripping over his own feet on the way back to the bed. The fat boy began wailing again and Petunia rushed over to him to help him. The sound of Dudley's loud wailing caused Alexander and Ryan to rush into the room.

"What the hell is going on here?" Alexander demanded when he surveyed the room. Petunia ignored him and went back to fussing over Dudley, who did not even have any tears in his eyes since he was just faking it for attention. Alex went over to the small boy huddled in the corner who was not looking at anyone. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry flinched away from him. "What's wrong kid?" Alex asked somewhat softly. After all, Alex had a family of his own so he wasn't completely coldhearted. Harry did not say anything but he just continued to clutch his injured hand tightly.

"Get that boy out of here because all he does is cause problems for my little Dudders!" Petunia shouted as Alex was crouched near Harry. Alex did not reply but he helped Harry stand up before leading him out of the room just before Ryan locked the door again.

"Sit." Alex said simply and pointed to a chair in the kitchen where the led Harry. Harry sat and Alex pulled an ice pack out of the freezer and handed it to the young boy. "Put this on your finger." Harry complied and the ice helped just a bit with the pain.

"Thank you." Harry whispered. This man may have kidnapped him, but he gave Harry an ice pack for his hand and that was something that his relatives have never done for him before. Alex sat there and studied the young boy before him. He was very skinny, unlike his overly large cousin, and appeared to be wearing his cousin's old clothes since they were many sizes larger than Harry. As he studied Harry, he noticed a small recent cut on his face. He picked up a wash cloth and went over to Harry to wash off the small amount of dry blood. He lifted the cloth up to Harry's face and the small boy flinched again. He moved slowly to not startle Harry again and lightly washed away the dried blood.

"Where are your parents and why are you living with those horrid people?" Alexander questioned slightly curious. He did not really expect Harry to answer and was surprised when the boy did answer.

"They died when I was one. The Dursleys are the only family I have left." Harry said quietly before looking up into the hazel eyes of the man sitting before him. At that moment, Harry's stomach decided to let out a little growl signifying that he was hungry. Harry turned somewhat red and looked away from the blond man.

"Hungry are we?" Alex asked slightly amused and began looking around for some food and he eventually found some leftover pizza in the refrigerator. He gave Harry a piece and ate a piece for himself. Harry took tentative bits from the pizza and barely managed to finish the whole piece since he was used to eating such small meals. Harry yawned as it was now around ten in the evening.

"Come on kid. Let's get you to your room so you can sleep." Alexander led Harry to the room and gave him a blanket to keep warm. "Night kid." Alex said as he closed and locked the door. He learned against the frame and sighed. It was getting hard for him to remember that this was all part of the job and that he shouldn't get attached to the kid just because he felt bad for him. He double checked the locks on both doors before going to bed himself.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all liked that second chapter! Thanks to Cotton01 and Devils Servant for being my first two reviews! If I can get 10 reviews by Friday evening, I will get another chapter up that evening after I get off work. So PLEASE REVIEW:) 


	3. Fruit Loops

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Harry Potter, other than this story's plot.

While Vernon was out retrieving the money early that next morning, Dumbledore had just called Severus to his office to talk.

"Would you like a Lemon Drop Severus?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked when his potions master entered his office.

"What is it that you want?" Severus Snape asked, completely ignoring the fact that he was offered a Lemon Drop, as if he would ever eat one anyways.

"Straight to the point as usual, Severus. I have a favor to ask of you. I would ask one of the other staff members but they are all busy or on vacation visiting families…"

"What is it that you want?" Severus repeated, trying to get the main reason for him sitting in the office currently. He had potions to brew and there was too much time wasted when playing along with the headmasters little suspenseful guessing games.

"I was contacted recently by Arabella Figg and she claimed that she has not seen young Harry Pot--" Dumbledore was cut off suddenly by Snape's exclamation.

"You are sending me to check on that brat?! Why? I'm sure he is perfectly fine! His relatives are probably catering to his demands while we are sitting here chatting." Severus was about to continue ranting but Dumbledore interrupted before he could say another word.

"Severus, please. He is not the only one that has not been seen. His relatives have not been seen either and they could not have gone on vacation since Arabella is left in charge of Harry when they do so. Please just check into it. If you don't want to do this for me, then do this for Lily. She would have wanted you to keep an eye on her son for her."

Severus knew that he could not say no after Albus added that last part. Lily was probably his only true friend throughout his years at Hogwarts. She was always the one who would help him when he needed it, even if he never asked. She was pretty much the caring sister that he never had. Severus resigned himself to his fate of checking on Harry.

"Fine." Was all he growled out before he left the room with his robes billowing dramatically behind him. Severus apparated to an alley near Privet Drive and quickly transfigured his robes into appropriate muggle clothing, in all black of course. He walked briskly to number four and rang the door bell. No one responded after he rang for the fifth time. He murmured the spell to unlock the door and let himself inside.

Severus looked around the house with disdain as he spotted many photographs of a large child. He briefly studied each photograph and noticed the lack of a certain dark haired boy in any of them. Harry was not in any of the family photos and there were not any school photographs displayed either. Severus stopped his examinations when he heard keys rattling and the door slowly opening. There was a very large fat man in the doorway and he was carrying a briefcase.

Vernon looked up from his position in the doorway and saw a man dressed in all black. His first guess was that this was one of the people who kidnapped his family.

"I-I have your money. Where are Petunia and Dudley?" Vernon stuttered out fearfully. He sounded desperate and he was very pale.

"What on earth are you babbling on about muggle?" Severus said with one of his trademark glares. Something was obviously wrong here and he intended to find out what it was.

"Who are you then? How did you get in my house?" Vernon bellowed, completely ignoring the death glare that was sent his way and was more interested in who this man was since he was not the kidnapper.

"I am here looking for Harry Potter." Was all that Snape said and that sentence alone caused Vernon to pale a bit more but then turn purple in rage.

"There is no Harry Potter here! You are one of those freaks aren't you?! Get out of my house!" Vernon roared at Snape, who was not impressed by the man at all.

"I am a wizard if that is what you were referring to. Now, I demand to know the whereabouts of Harry Potter." Snape leveled Vernon with his death eater glare and Vernon caved.

"I don't know where he is!" Vernon went into the kitchen and pulled out the letter and the photograph that came with the letter. He handed both items to Severus.

Severus looked over the letter and was about to question Vernon further when the phone rang. Vernon immediately went to answer the phone.

"He-Hello?" Vernon stuttered out. "Yes I have the money." He listened for a moment then hung up the phone when the other line hung up.

"Was that them?" Severus asked Vernon after he had a chance to look over the letter and photograph that portly man gave to him.

"Yes. The exchange will take place here tonight at midnight. Wait-why are you still in my house?! Get out!" Vernon roared at Snape. Snape was unfazed by the overweight man's yelling.

"I am still here because Lily was a great friend to me and I owe it to her to get her son out of this mess alive. I will be staying here." Severus said in such a commanding voice that even Vernon would not dare attempt to make him leave. "No one will know that I'm here and if the exchange goes well, then you shouldn't ever see me again. If anything goes wrong, I will be able to help remedy the situation. Is that clear enough for you to understand Mr. Dursley?"

"Y-ye-yes" Vernon stammered out, obviously very much intimidated by Severus' death glares and the fact that he was a full grown wizard who could do magic as he pleased.

"I will be putting up a silencing ward around this house so that the neighbors will not hear anything tonight, along with a few other minor wards." Since Vernon did not seem to like magic, Severus felt that it was necessary to inform him of what he was about to do so the man wouldn't panic. Vernon nodded his head but still cringed slightly when Severus pulled out his wand.

After finishing the minor wards, the potions master decided to interrogate the muggle about how this situation was created. Vernon explained how the briefcases were switched by accident and how he kept the money. Apparently these people were not too happy about their money being taken and tracked Vernon down. It was not too hard to do since information about his name and workplace was found inside the briefcase that they had.

"Why is Potter not in any of these photographs?" Severus had wanted to ask about that for a while now.

Vernon paled slightly when he was being questioned about Harry. "The boy is just camera shy." That was the best excuse he could come up with and since Snape wasn't looking at Vernon, he didn't see the relief that crossed Vernon's face when he let the matter drop.

Severus made himself as comfortable as possible and waited for the time to fly and the exchange to occur.

* * *

Harry woke up somewhat disoriented. It was too bright in the room for him to be in his 'room' and the mattress he was on was much more comfortable than the one he normally slept on. He stood up and walked over to the door to see if it was open. It wasn't but the door gave a sudden click and became unlocked. The memories came rushing back as he remembered the same thing happening the day before. He peeked out into the hallway and noticed that Jason was sitting on a chair reading a magazine, obviously there to make sure that none of them got out. Jason suddenly looked up and saw that Harry was standing there in the doorway.

"What the hell?!" Jason dropped the magazine and darted into the room where Harry had retreated. When Jason entered the room, he found Harry sinking to the floor in the corner. The boy was shaking slightly because Alex wasn't there to stop Jason from hurting him again. Jason smirked at the sight of the terrified ten year old.

The rogue flicked open the switchblade that he carried in his back pocket and went up to Harry. Harry didn't move because he was afraid that he would end up being stabbed if he ran for it now. Jason placed the cool metal blade against Harry's throat and asked, "How did you get out?" in a very dangerous voice that promised pain if the kid didn't answer.

"I-I don't know." Harry trembled slightly as he spoke. "It was the same as yesterday. It just opened for me." Harry whimpered slightly when Jason pressed the blade to his throat a bit harder. A very small cut appeared on Harry's neck and a small amount of blood oozed down his neck.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Jason asked skeptically. He was about to say something else when he heard someone moving behind him. He relaxed his hold on Harry a bit to turn around.

Ryan was standing in the doorway. "I though Alex told you to leave the kid alone and to not hurt him anymore."

"I wasn't hurting him much. I just needed to question him a bit. Get out of here and leave us alone." Ryan left them and wandered into the kitchen. Alexander was sitting at the kitchen table reading some papers. He murmured something before stacking the rest of the papers into a pile and then stood up. Looking around the cupboards he pulled out some Fruit Loops cereal. The blond haired man poured some cereal in a bowl along with some milk before grabbing a spoon and heading down the hall. He immediately noticed that Jason wasn't sitting in the chair anymore and that Harry's door was open. Alex placed the bowl on the chair before rushing into the bedroom. He saw Jason holding a knife to Harry's throat and questioning him about picking locks. Alex hastily crossed the room and pulled Jason away from Harry.

"What the hell are you doing?! I told you to leave the kid alone! What part of that is unclear to you?!" Alex shouted. Harry's once fearful green eyes now shone with slight appreciation for Alex for once again saving him from Jason.

"He tried to sneak out again!" Jason yelled back at Alex. Alex snatched the knife from the thug and pulled him out of the room where they continued yelling for a few more minutes. Alexander returned after the yelling stopped carrying a bowl of soggy cereal which he placed on the floor before approaching Harry, who was still huddled in the corner.

"Hey kid. Are you okay?" Alexander asked, slightly worried that Jason had a chance to hurt Harry with that knife. Harry just nodded his head to say that he was alright. There was only one shallow little cut on Harry's neck from the knife and other than that, he was okay. "What about your hand?" Harry looked confused as he looked down at his hands. There was nothing wrong with either hand. His left index finger was a little sore but that was it.

"Huh. That's certainly weird. I was almost certain that you finger was broken yesterday. Well at least its better. I brought this for you in case you were hungry but you don't have to eat it since it's soggy." Alex passed Harry the bowl of soggy cereal. Harry had never tried this cereal so he ate it anyway.

"I have a daughter named Lisa who is about your age. Now that I think about it, she has done a few odds things before. I remember one time when she was playing in the tree and fell. The weird thing is she sort of floated down the ground and didn't even get hurt. I had forgotten about it until I noticed that your finger was perfectly fine this morning. I guess you and my daughter can both do strange things." By the time that Alex had finished talking, Harry was done with the cereal.

"Thank you." Harry once again said to Alexander. That was probably the fifth or sixth sentence that Harry had said throughout the entire time that he was here.

"No problem kid. Do you need to use the bathroom before I lock the door again?" Alexander asked as he stood up and grabbed the bowl. Harry nodded so Alex led the boy to the bathroom and waited outside the door until Harry was done. "Will you stay in here even though you have a knack for unlocking this door?" Harry nodded his head and Alex paused for a minute before turning around and grabbing the magazine that was still on the floor from earlier. "Here. Why don't you read this? Just stay in this room." Alex repeated. Harry mumbled another thanks as Alex closed the door. Alex was just heading back into the kitchen when he heard Dudley's obnoxious voice.

"Let me out! I'm hungry! I'm bored too!" Petunia could be heard in the background trying to shush Dudley. They were kidnapped after all and typically it is not a good idea to aggravate the kidnappers too much. Alex decided to make things easier by grabbing a rag with chloroform on it and entering Petunia and Dudley's room. He quickly shoved the rag over the obnoxious boy's mouth and did the same to Petunia. They both fell into the darkness and the house was finally silent again and would stay that way until either woke up. It would be great if they did not until the exchange that was taking place that evening. It was almost noon so there was still about twelve hours until the exchange was going to occur. All there was left to do now was to wait.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took me a bit longer to get out. I just found out that my dog has bone cancer and has a few months left. I didn't feel like writing but I wanted to get this out soon so you all didn't have to wait too long. Snape finally showed up and Harry will get to meet him in the next chapter when the exchange takes place. It may be another day or two (hopefully that's all) until the next chapter comes out. Winter vacation just ended and school started again so I will try to get the next one out soon.

I know there are at least 15 people reading this story and I would be soooooo happy if you all could review after you read it. I don't care what you put, as long as there is some kind of review. So pretty please (with cherries on top) leave a review!


	4. Wizards, Witches, & Toads

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Harry Potter, other than this story's plot.

Time seemed to go extremely slow for the rest of the day. Harry stayed in the room reading the magazine for a while before taking a nap.

"Hey kid. Wake up. It's time to go now. We've got a bit of a drive until we get there." Harry slowly sat up and Alex handed his glasses. Harry placed them on and everything became much more focused. "Luckily, your aunt and cousin are still out of it. They will probably be up soon but we will be in the car by then. Come on, let's get you in the van." Alexander led the small raven-haired boy to out of the house. He allowed Harry to sit on the seats, unlike his aunt and cousin, who were tied up in the back still under the effects of chloroform. Harry placed his seat belt on as Ryan started up the car. Luckily Alex was the one sitting next to him rather than Jason, who was placed up front.

They drove for about two hours with only one stop for food and gas. Petunia and Dudley had woken up but they were gagged so that they were not able to talk or complain, which they would surely be doing by now. It was about a quarter to twelve at night when they arrived on Privet Drive. It would be better to have the exchange at night so that it was less likely for them to be seen. Ryan pulled the van into the garage, which was left open for them as Vernon was instructed earlier on the phone. The garage closed when Ryan hit the button and it was finally time for the exchange.

* * *

Vernon had attempted to make himself comfortable but that was very difficult for him with a fully trained wizard sitting calmly on his couch. They both sat in silence for quite a while until Vernon decided to turn on the TV to help alleviate some of the tension in the room. While Vernon watched television, Severus pulled out a book that he happened to have with him and read. The time passed extremely slowly but it was finally nearing midnight. At 11:30, Vernon opened the garage like he was directed to and went back inside.

They heard a car pulling in the garage at approximately 11:45. "I will perform a spell on myself so that you will not see me. I will still be here. Do not tell any of them that I have been here or that I am still here. I will not say nor do anything unless my presence is required. Is that clear Mr. Dursley?" Severus asked in his usual authoritative voice. Vernon merely nodded his head in agreement and watched as Severus pulled out his wand and cast the spell to make him invisible. Just after the spell was performed, the door that led to the garage opened.

Petunia, Dudley, and Harry were led in as Alexander, Ryan and Jason followed shortly after. Vernon was standing a short bit away carrying the briefcase.

"Open the briefcase." Alexander commanded. Vernon complied and proved that there was in fact a large sum of money in the briefcase that originally belonged to Alex. "Place the briefcase on the table now." Vernon did as he was told and Alex motioned for Ryan to grab the briefcase.

"It's all there." Ryan said shortly after he inspected the briefcase and estimated whether or not the correct amount was in there. Alex nodded his head in acceptance and let Petunia and Dudley rush over towards Vernon. Harry calmly walked away from Alex, obviously not in a hurry to see his uncle.

"Let's get out of here." Alexander said as they prepared to leave.

"We can't just leave them as witnesses!" Jason shouted. He grabbed Harry, who was the closest hostage. "They could call the police and get us arrested!" Jason pulled out a familiar switchblade that he had taken back from Alex earlier that day.

Snape chose that moment to appear and he summoned the knife away from Jason. Everyone in the house, except Vernon, stood shocked at the sight of a man that appeared out of nowhere. Silence descended upon the household after another shock of witnessing the knife flying over to the mysterious man.

"Come over here Mr. Potter." Snape said in a deadly tone that practically dared anyone to move or do otherwise. Harry hesitated and then started to walk over. Jason grabbed Harry by the hair before he could walk any further.

"Who the hell are you?!" Jason demanded as he held onto Harry. "What the hell just happened?!" Snape didn't answer but instead, he just murmured a few words and pointed what appeared to be a stick, at Jason. There was a slight pop sound behind Harry and the hands holding him were now gone. Harry turned around and saw a slimy toad sitting on the kitchen floor.

"Whoa." Harry said after a moment of continued silence. "How did you do that?"

"Magic." Severus answered simply.

"Magic is real?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Yes it is real. You didn't know this already?" Severus asked, slightly confused, but not showing it, to the reason why the savior of the wizarding world did not know magic existed. He turned towards Harry's relatives, all whom were looking rather pale. Severus raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation from them.

"W-we were waiting until he was eleven to tell him." Petunia stuttered fearfully.

A polite cough sounded from near the garage. Everyone turned towards Alex and Ryan, who were watching silently.

"So this -_magic_- is real? My daughter does these funny things sometimes. Does that mean she is a wizard or something?" Alex asked curiously.

"The correct term would be witch. When she turns eleven, she will receive a letter if she has been accepted into Hogwarts." Severus said simply.

"So what is going to happen to Jason over there?" Alexander inquired. "Personally, I believe he is an asshole and wouldn't mind if you left him that way. It's not like anyone will miss him anyways." He added.

"Then I shall just leave him as a toad." Severus said with a slight smirk.

"What is going to happen now?" Alexander asked tremulously. Plans had obviously changed now that Severus entered the picture.

"I will obliviate everyone here of this entire incident except for Mr. Pot--" Severus did not get to finish because Vernon interrupted loudly.

"Now listen here! You will not be doing anymore of that mumbo-jumbo in this house! I will not have you playing foolish magic tricks on us!" Vernon had gone purple in the face again and Harry made sure he was out of his uncle's reach. Harry was pretty sure his uncle wouldn't do anything in front of witnesses but there was always a first time for everything.

"There will be no 'foolish magic tricks' as you called it. I will be merely removing your memory of this incident." Before they had a chance to protest again, Severus cast the Memory charm on the Dursleys along with Alexander and Ryan. "You two were out drinking tonight and mistakenly entered the wrong house. You are now leaving to go home." They nodded in agreement and left still slightly dazed. Severus then turned to the Dursleys, "You heard a disturbance from downstairs and came out to investigate. Therewas no one here and you were all about to go to bed." With that said, Severus apparated out of the house and to the gates of Hogwarts. He entered the grounds and began the long walk to the headmaster's office.

Severus went up the spiraling staircase and was slightly surprised to see the headmaster awake at such a time. Then again, it never seemed like the older man had time to rest with all the various tasks that he had to complete.

"Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore asked even though, as usual, Severus declined. "How did things go?"

"There was a problem but it has been fixed." Severus flatly replied. Dumbledore had that annoying twinkle in his eye. "I think he should be removed from their care." The twinkle left Dumbledore's eyes and he sat up just a bit straighter.

"Why? He is safest from Voldemort living with his relatives."

"Did you ever consider that he was not safe _from_ his relatives?" Severus questioned the older man sitting in front of him.

"Have you actually seen anything or are you just speculating?" Dumbledore responded after some thought on the matter.

"I have not seen anything but I do believe that they have not taken care of him as well as they should have. He is much skinnier than his overweight cousin, he wears disgusting clothing that is too large and none of the Dursleys seemed to care about his wellbeing." Severus replied.

"Hmm…" That dammed twinkle came back. "Where could he go then? There is hardly anyone else around to take care of him…" Albus did not need to continue because Severus caught on to what he was implying.

"NO! I do not want to take care of him. I hate children. I would not be a suitable caretaker. You should ask Minerva or find a nice family or just anyone other than myself." Albus still had that twinkle in his eyes. There was no way out of this for Severus now.

Albus opened his mouth to speak and Severus knew what he was going to say next. "If you won't do this for me, then do this for Lily." Once again the thought of doing something for Lily was the deciding factor.

"Fine." Severus growled out.

"Excellent! I will have the house elves prepare a room in your quarters for young Mr. Potter. It will be ready by tomorrow so you are able to bring him here. I will also contact Poppy and let her know that you will bring Mr. Potter for a check up." Dumbledore replied cheerfully.

"Good night Headmaster." Severus stood up and exited the office. He retired to his room and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: Okay! One more chapter to go! I will try really hard to get that last chapter out tomorrow after work but it may end up being Saturday instead. This chapter didn't turn out as great as I wanted but it works. So please review and let me know what you think

Also-- I plan to write a sequel but it won't be updated as quickly as this story has. My goal will be to get that story updated once a week but keep in mind that I am in my senior year and school comes first. I hope you all will stick around to read the sequel too. It will mostly be about Harry living with Severus and then his first year of school (it won't follow the Sorcerer's Stone outline)

Thanks to: darkcelestial20, DebsTheSnapeFan. NATWEST, alwaysariyana, maraudersbanana, touch of the wind, cotton01, and Seulwolfe for the reviews!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!


	5. Rescued!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Harry Potter, other than this story's plot.

After Severus left, the Dursley's were left standing around. Vernon believed that he came down to check out a disturbance after Snape obliviated so when he saw Harry standing there, he assumed the disturbance was caused by Harry.

Vernon glared hatefully at Harry, who cringed away from his gaze. Vernon turned to Petunia and Dudley, "Why don't you both go ahead and go back to bed." They both went upstairs and Harry was left standing in the kitchen with a slowly purpling and enraged uncle.

"So boy, what have you been doing out here? Why are you even out of your cupboard?" Vernon asked as he descended on his defenseless nephew.

"I-I wasn't doing anything." Harry stuttered out fearfully. Nothing he could have said would have convinced his uncle that he wasn't doing anything.

Vernon smacked Harry. "You are out of your cupboard." Another smack. "You were up to something out here." Vernon shoved Harry to the ground "You tried to lie to ME by saying that you didn't do anything!" A kick to the stomach. "And simply because you exist!" Another kick, which resulted in Harry hitting an end table with a vase that promptly fell on top of Harry. It broke into many pieces, most of which became imbedded into Harry's scalp.

"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Vernon bellowed. He gave Harry another kick to the stomach. Harry curled up in attempt to protect his vital organs. Vernon kicked him hard in his right wrist and a crack was heard. Harry sucked in a deep breath in attempt to hold back a scream at the pain he now felt but if he screamed that would most likely enrage his uncle further. Vernon seemed satisfied with the damage he inflicted on Harry and he practically tossed the young boy into the cupboard under the stairs. Harry hit his head on the way in and loss consciousness.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly to a pain filled world. He tried to shift to a more comfortable position but it only caused him more pain. Harry stifled a quiet whimper that could attract his uncle's attention if he was heard. It was hard to tell what time it was therefore Harry couldn't determine how long he stayed there in the cupboard. He drifted in and out of sleep throughout the day and was he just about to drift off again when he heard knocking at the front door.

* * *

Severus woke up the next morning and went about his usual routine. He checked that the room was properly suited for the ten year old that would soon be occupying it. It was pretty plain but Harry would have the option to decorate it however he pleases once he got all settled in. Once everything was prepared, Severus trekked to the edge of the Hogwarts wards and apparated an alley near Privet Drive. He once again transfigured his clothes into appropriate muggle clothing and walked up to number four. Severus proceeded to knock politely on the door and thundering footsteps were heard just before Dudley answered the door.

"What do you want?" Dudley asked rudely.

Severus sneered at him and replied, "I am here to collect Mr. Potter."

Dudley paled a bit then turned around and bellowed, "DAD! Some weird guy is here to see the freak!" Dudley scampered behind his father when Vernon came charging to the door.

"Why do you want the boy?" Vernon asked as he studied the man before him. He looked slightly familiar but yet he couldn't remember anything.

"I am coming to take Mr. Potter away from here. He will be living with me until he starts his schooling." Severus replied to the man.

"He's not here." Vernon said adamantly and began to close the door. Severus stuck his foot in the doorway to prevent it from closing. Severus pulled out his wand and entered the house. Vernon backed away in fear once he saw the wand and let Snape enter.

Snape was about to head upstairs to search the bedrooms when he hears a slight whimper. He turns around and searched for the person who made the sound. There was no one behind him since the Dursley's scampered away from him. The sound of a car starting was heard, followed by a screeching take off. Severus then noticed a small door that had a lock on it. It was unusual to see a small cupboard with a lock on it. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Severus unlocked the cupboard. The door slowly opened and inside lay an injured raven-haired boy. It was obvious know as to why the Dursley's fled.

Severus reached a hand inside in attempt to pull Harry out but as soon as Harry felt the hand, he flinched away and began mumbling.

"No Uncle…Please…I'm sorry…I didn't do anything…No…" Harry mumbled out in a pain filled voice and incoherently.

"Mr. Potter…" Severus began but dropped the formalities. "Harry. Look at me. I am not your uncle." Harry slowly opened his pain filled eyes and gazed into the onyx eyes staring down at him and recognition flashed threw Harry's eyes.

"Can you tell me where it hurts the most?" Severus asked in a soft voice.

"My arm and my stomach." Harry said shortly. He was still having slight difficulty catching his breath.

"Can you drink this?" Severus asked kindly, well as kind as Severus could since he is not normally a kind person at all. Harry drank the potion that Severus pulled out of his robes and he fell asleep into a deep slumber. Severus then picked up the young boy and apparated out of there and in front of Hogwarts wards. He trekked up to the infirmary as fast as he could while carrying Harry.

"Poppy!" Severus shouted when he entered the infirmary. He set Harry on one of the beds just as Poppy came rushing in.

"Oh my goodness." Was all she said and then she got straight to work on diagnosing and healing Harry. She gave shoved a few potions down his throat before casting some healing spells. Poppy also removed all his hair since there was so much glass that was embedded in his scalp. She spread some cream over the cuts on his head and was finished for now.

She turned to Severus, who was still in the room while she treated Harry. "His wrist was broken, one rib was cracked and a few others were bruised badly, he had numerous cuts in his scalp, along with bruises from prior injuries. I have healed everything but some of the bruises will require cream to be massaged onto the bruises to help them disappear faster. His wrist will be sore for another day or two along with his ribs. Make sure he gets plenty of rest and that he hardly does anything for the next two days." Severus nodded his head in agreement. "Since I plan to leave for vacation, could you move him to your quarters?" Poppy questioned.

"That would be agreeable." Severus gathered Harry into his arms and carried him through the hallways and into the entrance of the dungeons where his room was located. He placed Harry on the bed and tucked him in before heading out to work on a potion.

* * *

Harry woke slowly and found that everything relatively good feeling instead of the pain that he had been expecting. He studied the unfamiliar surroundings. It definitely was not the Dursley house since the walls were made of stone and it was not the same room that he stayed in when he was kidnapped. Severus chose that moment to enter the room. Seeing Severus' face brought back the memories from the night before.

"Thank you, sir." Harry said respectfully. "For taking me away from them. And healing me." He added at the last minute. Severus just nodded his head in acceptance for the unnecessary apology.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked as he pulled out some cream.

"I'm fine, sir." Harry said even though he was slightly sore, but then again this was nothing compared to what he has felt before.

"Through this door, there is a bathroom that you can use to take a bath. I will have out some clothes that you can wear instead of these rags. After you clean up, apply this cream to your bruises." Severus handed him the cream and proceeded to transfigure some clothes for Harry. They would have a chance to shop for clothing soon, but not today.

"Yes sir." Harry hesitated to ask a question, since that was always forbidden at the Dursley house, but asked anyways. "Could you tell me your name sir?"

Snape almost looked shocked for a minute but he quickly covered up any form of emotions. Throughout the entire events of the last day, he had not once mentioned his name. Oops. "My name is Severus Snape." He paused for a minute, and then sighed exasperatedly. "You may call me Severus." He said with some difficulty, since not many had the privilege to call him by his first name.

"Thank you sir." Harry said after Severus answered his question.

"You do not need to thank me for every little thing. Go take a warm bath and do not forget to apply this cream to your bruises." Severus instructed the young boy, who did as he was told and entered the bathroom for his first warm bath, since all baths at the Dursley's were cold.

Harry tuned on the water and added some bubbles to the water. He undressed then stepped into the warm and bubbly tub. He relaxed in the tub for a while before scrubbing himself clean. Approximately 30 minutes after Harry entered the bathroom, he reappeared in his room clean with a much nicer set of clothes on. His clothes may have been transfigured, but they would be fine until they went shopping and at least they fit. Harry was slightly tired after the bath and he decided that a little nap wouldn't hurt. He got comfortable on the bed and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

While Harry was taking his bath, Albus entered Severus' quarters to discuss important matters that involved Harry.

"Severus. How is young Mr. Potter doing today?" Albus had that dammed twinkle in his eyes again, which only meant trouble.

"Potter is currently taking a bath right now. What is it you came here to ask?" Severus, impatient as usual, wanted to get right down to the point.

Albus' eyes twinkled even more than before. "I have another favor to ask of you…"

"Why do I have the feeling that you are about to ask me to keep the boy for the summer?" Severus guessed out loud.

"Are you related to Sybil? Perhaps you have some seer blood in you?" Albus trailed off.

"I am not in the mood for jokes right now Albus. There is NO way I could possibly be related to that woman." Severus spat out. The mere thought of being related to that woman was sickening for him. "Yes I suppose I can care for the boy. I dislike children greatly but knowing you, you will not accept no as my answer." Those damn eyes twinkled brighter. Severus stood up, fed up with this conversation, "I have work to do. Good day headmaster." Severus' robes billowed once again behind him as he took off towards his labs. Albus left the room, joyously sucking on a lemon drop as he went back to his office.

* * *

Harry woke up from his nap when he felt his shoulder being shook. He completely forgot where he was and began trembling. "No…I'm sorry..." Harry mumbled out as he was curled in a fetal position.

"Potter," Severus began, but that was no way to deal with a frightened child. "Harry. Relax, you are at Hogwarts. I took you away from your relatives." Harry began to calm down and process the fact that he was not at his relative's house. Harry felt a hand rubbing circles on his back. That was something that no one had ever done before and he began relaxing. Harry uncurled from his fetal position and looked up to the dark haired man, who promptly removed his hand from Harry's back. Harry was saddened by the loss of contact but ignored that feeling since the man did not even look comfortable being here.

"I'm sorry." Harry said simply.

"It was my fault that I startled you. I came here to tell you that it is time for dinner." Harry nodded then stretched real cat-like before getting up and following Severus. Severus led Harry to the dining room area of their rooms and a house elf served them. "Drink this potion before eating." At Harry's curious look, he explained briefly what the potion was for. "It is a potion that will help you keep foods down. You are malnourished and need to eat more. This will insure that you can keep you food down." Drinking the potion down, Harry grimaced at the taste and ate other food to get rid of the lingering taste.

Severus led Harry on a short tour of the rooms after they finished eating dinner. "This is a small kitchen area that will have some food stocked. Our meals are delivered by the house elves, but you are welcome to get food from here if you would like a snack." Severus pointed to a hallway that was in the opposite direction as Harry's room, "That leads to my bedroom and my private bathroom. You will not enter unless you knock first and then you may enter if I grant permission."

Severus led Harry into the living room, which was decked out in various shades of green. "This is the living room. You may read any of these books on these bookshelves. You may not read any of the books that are found on the shelves in my bedroom. Those books are dangerous and I will be very displeased if you touch them." There was not much else to see so Severus led Harry back to his room.

"Would you like to decorate your room?" Severus asked Harry, whose eyes lit up at decorating his very own room. Harry nodded shyly.

"We can start with the walls. What color would you like then?" Severus asked as he pulled out his wand.

"Could it be a bluish-green color?" Harry asked excitedly. Severus did not respond, but a mumbled spell later and the stone walls were painted a nice blue-green color. "It's perfect!" Harry exclaimed as he looked around in wonder.

"What color would you like the carpet to be?" Severus icy heart was slightly warmed by seeing the looks of pure joy on this child's face for just decorating the room.

"Could you make it a really dark blue color?" Severus complied and the carpet was not a dark blue color. They may live in dungeons, but there was no way that Severus would allow Harry to get sick by walking around on cold cement floors. Severus never minded the cement floors but with his new charge, it would be best to put carpet in all rooms.

There was nothing else to change around in the room. The bed had green sheets and blankets on it, courtesy of the house elves. The room seemed to match nicely and to Severus' relief, he was not asked to make it in Gryffindor colors. Harry was beaming with happiness and he looked around his new room. For Harry, this was the start to a great summer.

* * *

**THE END!**

* * *

A/N: I meant to have this up before I left for the weekend but I kind of forgot. Oops! Anyways, this is the end of this story and I have the sequel started and first chapter is out. I really hope you all liked this story and PLEASE REVIEW! If you read this story and haven't reviewed, then please leave one for this last chapter just to say what you thought of it as a whole.

Thanks to: darkcelestial20, NATWEST, Touch of the Wind, and lifeless.bookworm for reviewing my last chapter!

**THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SEQUEL IS OUT! PLEASE GO READ IT!**


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